This invention relates to apparatus for tilting a vehicle, such as an automobile, on its side, and supporting it there so as to provide ready access to the underside of the vehicle. More particularly, this invention relates to such vehicle tilting apparatus that is sufficiently portable so as to be stored in the trunk of a car.
A variety of portable means facilitating access to the underside of vehicles for repairs and maintenance are known. For instance, crawlers, jacks, and portable ramps are commonly used to allow a mechanic to work beneath an automobile. Such means, while simple, inexpensive, and relatively portable, place the user in a crowded, inconvenient, and frequently dangerous position. The undercarriage of modern automobiles is close to the ground, and consequently, even with crawlers, jacks, and ramps, access is inconvenient and somewhat difficult, the mechanic being forced to hunch his way beneath the car on his back. Moreover, crawlers and jacks require the worker to assume a supine position below and close to the work, with the consequence that dirt, fluids, welding sparks, and the like, falling from the work will fall onto the worker or into the worker's eyes. Jacks and portable ramps offer an additional hazard, particularly for the hobbyist, who might improperly use them to secure working clearance under a low-slung automobile. Further, if jacks or ramps are used to secure clearance, the car may be raised so high as to prevent simultaneous access to the car from above. Thus, engine work might require repeatedly lifting and lowering the car to gain access to the engine alternately from above and below.
As an alternative approach, it is also known that a vehicle may be tilted onto its side by a portable arcuate cradle attached to the vehicle. For instance, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,252, such a cradle includes means to mount the cradle to the wheel mounting hubs of the front and rear wheels on one side of the vehicle and also includes orthogonal adjustable supports for contacting the vehicle in order to support and stabilize it on the cradle. The cradle is also provided with one or more saftey legs to secure the cradle and the attached vehicle in its tilted position. The safe use of such a cradle requires the adjustment of a number of stabilizing supports and also requires the installation, after the vehicle is tilted, of at least one saftey leg under the tilted vehicle. Improper adjustment of the supports may result in a dangerous or damaging shifting of the vehicle on the cradle during use, while improper installation of the saftey legs clearly subjects the user to grave danger. It might also be noted that the installation of the saftey legs under a tilted vehicle is in itself a dangerous operation.